Seren Pedac is a LetheriiAcquitor, one of only seven sanctioned by a treaty with the Tiste Edur to lead merchants to trade on Edur territory. She is leading Buruk the Pale who has come to trade iron and other goods, the wagons being accompanied by indebted Nerek tribesmen. They are joined unexpectedly by Hull Beddict, a previous lover of Seren’s, and former Sentinel to the Letherii king, Ezgara Diskanar. Hull is worshipped by the Nerek as a saviour despite unwittingly betraying them, the Tarthenal, and the Faraed to the greed and debts of the Letherii way.

Hull wishes to accompany the expedition to meet with the Warlock King. Seren is suspicious of his motives. At the same time, she suspects Buruk carries secret instructions from someone among the Letherii Royal Household. The two speculate on Letherii intentions for the coming Great Meeting between Hannan Mosag and delegates of the Letherii Empire.

Tehol Beddict awakens in his bed atop the roof of his house in Letheras. Nearby, his manservant, Bugg, knits him a new shirt. Tehol eyes up the Eternal Domicile – the new palace – and is speculating to Bugg on possible ways of preventing part of the construction from collapsing due to clay heave, when Bugg tells Tehol that three women came to their door earlier in the morning. They await him at Huldo's.

Intrigued, Tehol puts on his new shirt, wraps a bedsheet around his waist in place of pants, and heads for the restaurant. The three are Hejun, Shand, and Rissarh, three large, strapping, half-blooded tribal women. Although put off by his eccentric appearance, they have a business proposition to put to him, to use his genius to make their fortunes. They hint at knowing that Tehol is more than he appears.

Brys Beddict is Finadd, or Captain, of the Royal Guard of Lether, and newly installed King's Champion. He is being quizzed by the First Eunuch, Nifadas, as to what his brother Hull might want with the Edur. Brys confesses ignorance, saying he no longer understands either of his brothers. They discuss the upcoming Great Meeting where Nifadas and Prince Quillas Diskanar will lead the Letherii delegation. Nifadas expresses his content at choosing Brys as Champion.

As Brys is dismissed he is pulled away by CedaKuru Qan, the King's Sorceror, who asks him to undertake a task for him. Brys agrees to return after first attending an appointment with PredaUnnutal Hebaz in the throne room. Hebaz chides him for his tardiness and quickly motions him to a shadowy alcove. This he does and is soon witness to the various palace factions bickering: Prince Quillas, Queen Janall, and Chancellor Triban Gnol on one side and the Preda on another. Quillas demands Hebaz rescind Gerun Eberict's appointment to Nifadas' entourage, and Hebaz refuses. Quillas' bodyguard, Moroch Nevath, begins to draw his sword until Brys reveals himself, possibly staving off an attempt on the Preda's life. The meeting adjourns with the prince angrily storming out and the queen and chancellor seeming to make amends with Hebaz.

Returning to the Ceda, Brys is taken to the Cedance – the chamber of divination - and asked to describe what he sees in the Tiles: Barrow of the Azath Hold, Gate of the Dragon Hold, Betrayer of the Empty Hold, White Crow of the Fulcra, and Seed of the Ice Hold. Kuru Qan is unsure what to make of the unprecedented nature of the tiles revealed, but notes in alarm they portend a momentous occasion. Brys suggests they point to the coming Seventh Closure when the First Empire will be reborn and King Diskanar will ascend and assume the title of First Emperor. The Ceda counters that the popular interpretation of the Closure's meaning might be less than accurate. He tells Brys that only he, the king, and Nifadas know of the tiles' revelations and cautions the King's Champion to be wary in guarding the king's life. Before Brys departs, he admits to the Ceda that he fears Hull will take Prince Quillas' life at the Great Meeting.

Tehol Beddict inspects a workshop purchased by the three women. Outlining what they wish Tehol to achieve for them, the three explain their motives. Unlike the rest of Letheras, they know he is not as helpless and destitute as he appears. Tehol once excited the city's imagination when he was able to transform a hundred Letherii Docks into a Peak in the space of a year. It was an unheard of accomplishment in investment which ultimately ended in his discredit and the amount written off. But Shand and the others know he actually spirited the money away to secretly buy islands for the survivors of the tribes his brother, Hull, helped decimate. His brother is unaware of his act of kindness.

The three women are themselves half-bloods of the Tarthenal and Faraed tribes and want Tehol to repeat his feat, but at a much higher level. They have thirty thousand Thirds that they want to increase to ten Peaks, a rate of return over three hundred percent and almost equal to the city's entire gross value. Then they want to disappear the money to buy more islands for their people and cause the Letherii economy to collapse. Tehol agrees to help and outlines details of their next moves, but notes the coming conflict with the Edur is likely to bring down the Empire on its own.

Seren Pedac watches a lone Edur approach their camp. He is to be their guide through the lands of the Hiroth. Blood brother to Hull Beddict, he is Binadas Sengar. As he approaches Hull confirms her suspicions, namely that he intends to push the Edur into war with Lether at the Great Meeting.